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Sarranid Sultanate
The Sarranid Sultanate is a new faction introduced in Mount&Blade: Warband, and is led by Sultan Hakim. The claimant to the throne is Arwa the Pearled One. Sarranids are an Arabic, Turkish, Persian and Berber medieval civilization who live in the harsh deserts of Calradia. Their lords are called Emirs. 'Army types and tactics' The Sarranid use units and tactics that seem to blend between Swadian and Vaegir unit types to create more versatile units. The Sarranid cavalry, the Sarranid Mamluke, is on par with Swadian Knights for the toughest horsemen in game, while their infantry and archers more reflect a variation on Vaegir military doctrine, being generally more heavily armored and shielded than Vaegir units. Their weakness lies in an odd lack of specialization that seems to stem from this blending, their archers are relatively tough, but are the weakest archers at their supposed role of archery, their infantry have throwing weapons, but lack staying power in melee, and their horsemen are slightly less armored than their Swadian counterparts in exchange for having blunt weapons to capture prisoners (although their cavalry is still quite fearsome). Use them well and they are a formidable force, but it is hard to squeeze an amount of damage out of archers that quickly exhaust their ammo before getting many kills that justifies their use in a siege battle. Sarranid Master Archers are a hedged bet - better in a melee, when things are going wrong, but worse when things are actually going well, and ultimately may not be capable of clenching victory even when doing everything right against powerful enemy forces. Mamlukes rule the open desert, and their blunt weapons will help them pay their recruitment costs and salaries for themselves with prisoners, but their horses are of no use upon the walls of a castle. Their infantry might score a few kills with throwing weapons, but when you need them to hold the line, they simply may not be capable of going toe to toe with other faction's infantry in a direct fight. They are not the Khergits, but they ultimately fight better on the open field where their horsemen can run rampant than in a siege, where Nords and Rhodoks are more capable. Rulers Vassals Type of Troop The Sarranid use a mix of light infantry and heavy cavalry. The Sarranid territory is mostly open desert, making battles very favorable for cavalry and archers. Unlike the Khergits, their cavalry are melee only and have no bows, making them less versatile; however, their mounted knights (Mamelukes) are some of the strongest in the game, rivaling the Swadian Knights. Their infantry is not as heavily armed and armored as that of other factions, but they are reliable in large numbers and can be very useful if supported. Their Archers use bows rather than crossbows and are one of the most effective in game out-shooting Nord Veteran Archers but themselves being rivalled by Vaegir Marksmen, having a very fast rate of fire, allowing a small number of troops to lay down an impressive volley. Troop Tree :: Sarranid Troop Tree Note: Sarranid Footman upgrades to either Skirmisher or Veteran Footman, Sarranid Veteran Footman upgrades to either Horseman or Infantry. Land The territory of the Sarranid Sultanate contains the following towns, castles and villages (towns are shown in bold): Note that, over the course of the game, other kingdoms may besiege and take over these lands and the Sultanate may gain more. However, these places are the only places from which you can recruit Sarranid Troops. Inspiration The Sarranid Sultanate is based mostly on the various Caliphates and Sultanates in Arabia and Turkey from roughly the years 1000-1600 A.D. The name itself is suspected to be a play on the term "Saracen"- which is what the Europeans used to describe Turks and Arabs during and after the Crusades. The dress of the Sarranid militia is most similar to that of the Arabs, while their rankings and classes borrow inspiration from both Arab and Turkish ruling empires. Many of the city names are based on real Turkish and Arabian cities, with Shiraz having been the real name of a post-Islamic Persian city. The "Mamluke" warriors, one of the strongest mounted warriors in the game, are based on a real warrior class composed of Arabian and Turkish soldier-slaves called the Mamlukes or Ma'maleek, literally meaning "The owned ones." The names carried by the "Emirs" (an Arab title for a ruler) of the Sarranid Sultanate seem to be exclusively Arabic in nature. The banners and flags which the Emirs carry seem to borrow influence from Arab, Turkish and Persian banners that were historically used. External links Sarranid Sultanate Strategy Category:Factions Category:Warband